how do i know when its time to potty train?

Brianna - posted on 06/10/2011

i think at 22 months is a good time to start. my sis and also my sister inlaw both started to potty train at 18 months with there girls and it start out really good for about a week and then it back fired for both of them my one niece is 21 months now and will not pee in the potty at all and my other niece is almost 3 years old and screams bloody murder when u try to get her to sit on a potty

Jacqueline - posted on 06/10/2011

My mum had all four of us potty trained at 18 months. My daughter is 17 months and I have started taking her to the potty with me and putting her on it before bath time just to get used to the idea. I started this because I went to get her out of bed one morning and she had managed to take her wet diaper off and she handed it to me as soon as I walked in her room (thank goodness she had not used the bathroom since she removed it as I have no idea how long it was off but her bed was clean and dry) and then a few days after that she randomly brought me a diaper when she wanted to be changed. I read somewhere else that 18 months is when they typically have enough bladder control to try to potty train. My daughter already says stinky or phew for #2 and has for months. Now we need a word for #1 and next month I will put her on the potty more often. Even if it takes awhile for her to get the hang of it, I think it's less stressful to ease in at a comfortable pace instead of make it a task that I make a big deal out of. It's worked with everything else so far. Good luck :)

Deana - posted on 06/05/2011

My daughter started showing signs at 17 months. She would come to us and make us walk to the potty with her. She wouldn't go but she would sit on it and then clap. Then about a month later she would start pulling her pants and diaper off and walk to the bathroom. By 20 months she would go in the potty every other time. Now at 23 months she will go potty every time when her diaper is already off and about 70% of the time when it's on. She kind of told us when she was still ready so we never had to look for signs. All kids start at different ages though

Angela - posted on 06/03/2011

I disagree with the other posts...started my DD at about 18 months just with putting a potty in our bathroom and bringing her in there to sit when I went. This got her used to the idea and comfortable. Then at about 20 months I began stripping her down to no pants and sitting her on it at regular intervals, ie. 15 minutes or so, and reading to her while she sat there to keep her occupied. When she began to go while sitting make a big deal about it, jump up and down with excitement and show her how great it is (M&M's are a great motivator too). Stretch out the interval over time and eventually he will begin to go to the pottty before your interval as he recognizes his body signals that he has to go. There will be accidents along the way, especially at the younger age, but do not react negatively to them or else he will regress. As long as you remain consistent and commit to it (don't go back and forth between potty one day and diaper next)...he will get it. My daughter was fully trained and reliable by 2 yrs...which is really nice to say goodby to those diapers (at least during the daytime). Nightime and naps will take a little longer but 1 or 2 diapers a day is nothing comparatively. Good luck!

Anne - posted on 06/01/2011

Elmo's "Potty Time" DVD is awesome!!

Jane - posted on 06/01/2011

waaaaay to early. a child needs to be able to 1) pull down and up their own pants 2) show signs that they are going, hiding in the corner, grabbing at their diaper when they pee and 3) be able to tell you vocally that they have gone. most boys train later to 3.5 b/c of the absorbency of diapers now, disposable and cloth.

don't rush it and when you do try, if he's not interested, try again three months later. a dvd/book combo is a great tool and also loading him up w/liquids when you do start training him. i limited our potty time to mornings only at the start. i'd put the dvd in at breakfast, load her up w/milk, juice, water so she could be successful. then i'd put a diaper on her for the afternoon and bedtime. as she got better, we'd adjust when she went back in her diaper. and a little portable potty w/the disposable bags when we went someplace and extra clothes - shoes, socks, undies and pants.

i tried w/both of my girls at 18 mos but neither was ready until 2.5. they also need to be able to listen to simple commands, if you ask them to do a task and can do it, then that's a good gauge of readiness.

oh, and i'd load her up w/Mini Wheat Little Bites when it was time to train for #2.

Anne - posted on 06/01/2011

Our kids never showed any interest, until we started talking about preschool! We visited some open houses and our kids got really excited. We told them that they have to be out of diapers to be able to go! They were dry the next day!!!! But they were 3 1/2 years at that point. ;)